Sir Ian McKellen to star in Beauty and the Beast

Sir Ian McKellen will be starring in 'Beauty and the Beast' opposite Emma Watson and Emma Thompson.

The 75-year-old actor has been announced as the latest casting for Disney's live-action film, and will be playing Cogsworth, the butler-turned-clock, according to Variety.

Emma Watson will be starring as Belle, while Emma Thompson will be playing Mrs.Potts, the talking teapot.

The cast will also include Luke Evans as Gaston, Dan Steven as the Beast and Kevin Kline as Belle's father Maurice.

The film is set to be directed by Bill Condon, who previously worked with Sir Ian in 'Gods and Monsters' and the upcoming 'Mr Holmes', where he plays an older version of Sherlock Holmes.

'Beauty and the Beast' isn't the first classic Disney film to get a live-action makeover recently, as 'Cinderella' smashed box offices this year, with Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother and Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother, while last year saw Angelina Jolie take on the role of 'Maleficent'.

Disney has also announced upcoming remakes for 'Dumbo', 'Mulan', 'Pinocchio' and 'The Little Mermaid'.

Production on 'Beauty and the Beast' will begin later this year and the film is scheduled to open in March 2017.